This collection of eight idyllic strands clearly shows why the Caribbean is the world’s greatest beach destination. Many wonderful stretches of coast lie adjacent to the region’s resorts, but the beaches featured here are stripped down to their essence: sand and sea, usually with a sprinkling of palms to complete the fantasy.
It’s no coincidence that each is close to a coral reef — the main source of the dazzling white sand that sprinkles ashore as a sugar-soft treat for your toes. And the warm sea that bathes these shorelines is so clear that the blazing Caribbean sun hits the ocean floor nearly full strength, bouncing back to color the undersides of passing clouds with the same luminous turquoises, blues and greens that the water displays. You can’t drive to any of these spots, and you often have them to yourself. Best of all, if you haven’t seen them yet, there’s still time: Nearly all are protected as national parks so they’ll remain just as beautiful for generations to come.

TAHITI BEACH
Even though Tahiti Beach shares Elbow Cay with quaint and popular Hope Town, its secluded location at the southwestern tip of the island — and the fact that no road leads to the sand — ensures that it remains an uncrowded dream beach. Tahiti owes its South Seas moniker to the enchanted Bali Hai feel of otherworldly isolation, background of lush palms and view of Great Abaco. Visitors staying in Hope Town or who ferry over from the other Abacos hike or bike out to the beach, while those taking advantage of the island chain’s ideal cruising grounds motor over in their dinghies. Bonefish feed in the shallows, which wrap around tide-rippled sandbars — ideal for strolling and sunning — that reach into the Sea of Abaco.

To view the original article by Bob Friel of msnbc, click here

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